1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the monitoring and analysis of a quantity of modems, and more particularly to a microcomputer-based system that provides modem use information. Such information is provided in the form of a display and in the form of recorded data obtained directly or derived from the monitoring activity. The recorded data or histogram shows the in-use condition of each modem. From the histogram, one can determine which modems in the system are faulty, and whether too many or a sufficient number or an insufficient number of modems have been employed.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
In preparation for this application two separate pre-examination searches were performed. The first search was conducted in classes 346/33R, 33M, 33MC; and 375/8, and 10 and uncovered the following patents:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Date of Issue ______________________________________ 3,286,272 L. Dege, et al. 11/15/66 3,293,605 L. Moore 12/20/66 3,371,349 T. J. Schinner, et al. 2/27/68 3,414,905 M. F. O'Brien, et al. 12/3/68 3,491,340 R. L. Richman, et al. 1/20/70 3,566,399 F. E. Weld 2/23/71 3,728,680 L. Upshur 4/17/73 3,956,601 H. Harris, et al. 5/11/76 4,047,155 A. Miller 9/6/77 4,471,348 C. London, et al. 1/1/85 ______________________________________
The patents to Upshur, '680 and O'Brien et al. '905 teach the printing out of operating conditions for the looms of a textile mill. In Upshur '680 the system provides for the causes of loom stops, namely, filling stops, warp stops, warp out, and mechanical breakdowns. These stoppages are communicated through a binary code to a computer which indicates the cause of the stoppage. The computer has the capability of integrating the loom stations and of ascertaining the condition thereof. The computer further has the associated memory to retain status so that if a filling or warp stop has occurred, it is recorded whether or not the condition has presently cleared. The patent describes the recordation of loom data in the form of reporting cards. These cards are further used to provide weaving loom efficiency as well as other operating data.
In O'Brien et al., a similar textile application for computerized monitoring is provided. Here the reporting is through a record reflected by a scanner associated with a system having voltage signals provided to a patchboard. The description of a permanent record of the causes of shutdowns of the looms being monitored is described. This monitoring is taught as useful for recording downtime of machines other than textile looms.
In Shinner et al. '349, the disclosure teaches a device providing time and event printout of a plurality of circuit breakers which are monitored on a timed basis. Of particular interest in this disclosure is the time and date print unit and the operational information provided. Within the operating section the checking of the operation of the printer to determine if the printer is free of malfunctions is described.
In London et al. '348, a device is shown which, under the control of the microprocess control central processor, a number of analog input signals are scanned. The operation of the scanner is described together with the elements of the monitoring system and the description of the display.
A universal data recording system invented by Arthur Miller teaches display means on a plurality of terminals. In this invention an interrogation is conducted of various detector means.
The second search, was conducted in the following classes, 179/2DP; 375/8 and 10; 340/825.06, 825.16, 825.5, and 722; 364/300; 370/13; 371/5, 15, 22 and 60.
The search uncovered the following patents:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Date of Issue ______________________________________ 4,498,186 Hwang et al (AT&T Bell) 2/5/85 4,398,299 Darling et al (AT&T Bell) 8/9/83 4,398,297 Hwang et al (AT&T Bell) 8/9/83 4,393,508 Boudalt (U.S. Philips) 7/12/83 4,385,392 Angell et al 5/24/83 4,385,384 Rosbury et al (Rascal Data) 5/24/83 4,015,206 Huntley (GTE Lenkurt) 3/29/77 3,956,601 Harris et al (Paradyne Corp) 5/11/76 3,952,163 Couturier et al (Genl Data 4/20/76 Commm) 3,743,938 Davis (General Data Comm) 7/3/73 3,622,877 MacDavid et al (Sanders Assoc) 11/23/71 3,245,066 Mattlet (Intnatl Std Elec Corp) 4/5/66 3,225,205 Berkin (IBM) 12/21/65 3,097,353 Carter (Epsco Inc) 7/9/63 2,786,988 Bergman (LM Ericson) 3/26/57 ______________________________________
In the patent to Courturier et al '163, a modem tester is taught in which a frequency division multiplexing transmitter/receiver is described. The operational teachings are described by reference to the waveform diagrams.
In Davis '938, the remote receiver control circuits response to carrier frequency signal is taught.
In Hwang et al '186 the section entitled "Communication Processing" teaches transmitting an acknowledgement, and the flag setting capability of the DDU upon receiving text.
In Rosbury et al '384 a device is described as containing tests for modems, including selftesting in response to the self-test enable (STE) command and end-to-end testing initiated by the tast pattern enable (TPE). The patent further teaches the logic states for modem operating conditions and descirbes information available for determining status such as modem signal quality.
The patent to Harris et al '601 teaches a modem test signal generator and the modem integrity signal derived therefrom.
In the Angell et al '392 patent, the logic operation of a ROM is taught, which ROM compares receive data with transmit data.
The MacDavid et al '877 patent teaches checking modems using a bit test sequence generator and a comparison of the same to a reference bit sequence generator.
The pertinent aspects of the searches have been discussed hereinabove so as to conform with the full disclosure requirements.